Metal pouring organization

ABSTRACT

The application discloses a metal pouring organization which makes it possible to pour a melt while evacuating the attendant fumes for air pollution treatment. It comprises a pit below floor level adapted to accommodate a pouring ladle below floor level. A furnace is mounted for rocking movement above floor level and it is provided with a short pouring spout to which a launder is articulated, the other end of the launder being articulated to a support arm, wherein the parameters are such that, during tilting movement of the furnace during a pour, the discharge end of the launder will always be positioned to discharge the molten metal near the center of the ladle. The pit is provided with a powered removable cover which may be retracted to permit insertion of the ladle and then moved back into position. The launder enters the pit through a notch in a wall of the pit and the pit is provided with a duct through which effluent may be evacuated for air pollution control treatment.

United States Patent 1191- Evans, Jr.

[ METAL POURING ORGANIZATION John T. Evans, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Armco Steel Corporation,

Middletown, Ohio [22] Filed: Nov. 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 304,857

[75] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant ExaminerPaul A. Bell Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lohn W. Melville; Albert E. Strasser; Stanley H. Foster [4 1 Feb. 12, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT The application discloses a metal pouring organization which makes it possible to pour a melt while evacuating the attendant fumes for air pollution treatment. It comprises a pit below floor level adapted to accommodate a pouring ladle below floor level. A furnace is mounted for rocking movement above floor level and it is provided with a short pouring spout to which a launder is articulated, the other end of the launder being articulated to a support arm, wherein the parameters are such that, during tilting movement of the furnace during a pour, the discharge end of the launder will always be positioned to discharge the molten metal near the center of the ladle. The pit is provided with a powered removable cover which may be retracted to permit insertion of the ladle and then moved back into position. The launder enters the pit through a notch in a wall of the pit and the pit is provided with a duct through which effluent may be evacuated for air pollution control treatment.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB I 21914 3,791,638

' sum 2 or 3 1 METAL POURING ORGANIZATION BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In conventional practice when pouring a melt, the ladle is held with a crane. In the past there has been no way to control the effluent which occurred during a pour. Any attempt to control effluent with the conventional pouring methods would involve a roof installation and the cost of such an installation would be prohibitive. With the present emphasis on air pollution control, a great amount of work has been done in an effort to control pollution produced in and around steel mills. No satisfactory solution to the pollution by effluent which occurs during a pour has yet been found. The organization disclosed in the present application is a solution to the problem in that instead of holding the ladle with a crane during pouring, the ladle is lowered into a pit. The pit is then covered except for a notch through which a launder extends from the pouring spout of the furnace in a manner to direct the stream of metal into the center of the ladle. The launder is articulated as will be described in more detail hereinafter, in such a way that the discharge will always be substantially central of the ladle. The pit is provided with an effluent duct through which effluent may be removed for suitable anti-pollution treatment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view through a pit according to the present invention showing the relationship of a ladle in the pit to the furnace and launder.

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view thereof taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A furnace is somewhat diagrammatically indicated at having a short pouring spout 11. The furnace is arranged in a conventional manner to rock on the surface indicated in broken lines at 12 on the rocker segments indicated in broken lines at 13. Since the furnace per se does not form a part of the present invention, it will not be described any further.

A pit is provided adjacent the furnace which may be lined with fire brick or other masonry material, as is well known in the art. The pit has a rear wall 14, side walls 15 and 16, and a front wall 17. Between the ladle and the wall 17 there is provided a baffle 17a including a cat walk 17b. The floor 18 of the pit is provided with a ladle platform 19 upon which a ladle 20 may be placed by means of the usual crane. The baffle 17a has a notch 21 for a purpose to be described hereinafter. A power cover is indicated at 22 and this may be mounted upon wheels or rollers 23 riding on suitable tracks so that the cover may be retracted for the emplacement of the ladle 20 and then returned to its closed position. The wall 15 of the pit is provided with a duct 24 through which effluent from the pour may be evacuated for subsequent anti-pollution treatment.

Molten metal is delivered through the pouring spout 11 when the furnace is tilted counterclockwise into a launder 25. The launder is articulated to the pouring In FIG. 1 the at rest position of the furnace and launder is shown in solid lines and the extreme tilted position of the furnace is shown in dotted lines. It will be seen that the design is such with reference to the length of the strut and its point of articulation and the length of the launder 25, that the stream of metal in both the broken and solid line positions will be directed substantially centrally of the ladle.

It will be seen that when the cover 22 is in place the only opening in the pit is the notch through which the launder extends. Since there is clearance around the launder, air flow may be obtained through the clearance, the pit and the duct 24. Thus effluent will be drawn off from the pit and will not escape into the atmosphere.

It should be noted that the cost of an installation as described herein is relatively minor compared to any previously suggested air pollution control system.

It will be understood that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, the means for moving the cover 22 have not been shown in detail and these may be varied to suit circumstances. It should therefore be understood that no limitation not specifically set forth in the claims is intended and none should be implied.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A metal pouring organization comprising:

a. a tiltable melting furnace having a short pouring spout,

b. a pit adjacent said furnace, said pit being of a size to accept a ladle below the furnace floor level,

c. said pit having a cover arranged to be moved into and out of position closing said pit,

d. a duct in a wall of said pit for the removal of effluent, I

e. a pit wall on the furnace side of the pit having a notch in the top,

f. a baffle between said pit wall and a ladle in said pit,

said baffle having a notch in the top,

g. a launder supported adjacent its delivery end by an articulated strut and articulated at its receiving end to said short pouring spout and entering said pit through said notches,

the length of said launder, the length of said strut, and its point of articulation to the launder being such that, during a pour the delivery end of the launder is always positioned to deliver the stream of molten metal near the center of the ladle.

2. The organization of claim 1, wherein said pit cover is mounted on tracks, and is arranged to move along said tracks into and out of pit closing position.

3. The organization of claim 1, wherein there is a clearance in said baffle around said launder, whereby a flow of air may be provided through said clearance, through said pit and out through said duct, to prevent effluent from contaminating the atmosphere around the fumace and ladle, and permitting suitable antipollution treatment of said effluent. 

1. A metal pouring organization comprising: a. a tiltable melting furnace having a short pouring spout, b. a pit adjacent said furnace, said pit being of a size to accept a ladle below the furnace floor level, c. said pit having a cover arranged to be moved into and out of position closing said pit, d. a duct in a wall of said pit for the removal of effluent, e. a pit wall on the furnace side of the pit having a notch in the top, f. a baffle between said pit wall and a ladle in said pit, said baffle having a notch in the top, g. a launder supported adjacent its delivery end by an articulated strut and articulated at its receiving end to said short pouring spout and entering said pit through said notches, the length of said launder, the length of said strut, and its point of articulation to the launder being such that, during a pour the delivery end of the launder is always positioned to deliver the stream of molten metal near the center of the ladle.
 2. The organization of claim 1, wherein said pit cover is mounted on tracks, and is arranged to move along said tracks into and out of pit closing position.
 3. The organization of claim 1, wherein there is a clearance in said baffle around said launder, whereby a flow of air may be provided through said clearance, through said pit and out through said duct, to prevent effluent from contaminating the atmosphere around the furnace and ladle, and permitting suitable anti-pollution treatment of said effluent. 